1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to antigenic proteins which are derived from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and to the use of these proteins in medicine, particularly in the treatment, prophylaxis and diagnosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
2. Related Art
P. aeruginosa is a Gram-negative aerobic motile bacterium. It is an environmentally ubiquitous, extracellular, opportunistic pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality in immuno-compromised subjects. Infection is of particular significance in subjects with cystic fibrosis, burns, chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis and cancer.
The genome of P. aeruginosa has recently been sequenced and details of the project have been placed on the internet (www.pseudomonas.com). However, at the priority date of the present invention, the information was not complete and had not been verified. This information is now complete and has been verified.
Identification of immune responses, the search for vaccine candidates and suitable components for diagnostic tests have focused on the outer membrane components of P. aeruginosa. The outer membrane of P. aeruginosa contains toxins, including the lipopolysaccharide endotoxin, phospholipid and outer membrane proteins (OMPs).
The various outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of P. aeruginosa have been assigned an alphabetical naming system. While several proteins have been characterised by this scheme, the expression of some is only transient and highly dependent upon nutrient availability, culture conditions and the presence of antibiotic. Presently, three major OMPs, designated F, H2 and I, are recognised as antigenically common to, and expressed in high copy numbers, in all strains of P. aeruginosa. 